This invention relates to pole-mounted chain and basket assemblies, and in particular to flying disc entrapment devices.
The game of disc golf has been a popular pastime for the past twenty-five years. This game is played in a variety of ways, but in its essential form it simulates the game of golf by providing one or more golf-type holes over a course laid out in an open recreational area such as a park or the like. Each golf hole consists of the usual essential elementsxe2x80x94a tee, a fairway, a selection of hazards and a location for xe2x80x9cputting out.xe2x80x9d This putting location is occupied by what has become known as a Disc Pole Holes(copyright) disc entrapment device. Earlier versions of Disc Pole Holes(copyright) disc entrapment devices are described and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,039,189; 4,461,484; 4,792,143; and 5,868,395.
Each of the flying disc entrapment devices described in the foregoing patents has certain advantages and have represented advances in the state of the art as disc golf courses have become developed over the years, and as further refinements have been added to the game of disc golf and to the layout of individual golf holes. These refinements have included improvements in the design and structure of flying disc entrapment devices. Following the basic design, each development added a further improvement, including a specific design to prevent vertical penetration fly-through, bounce-out after the disc strikes the central pipe, and the improvement that allowed discs to be caught, even ones that struck the very top links at the top of the disc pole hole.
Such entrapment devices all utilize at least one solid steel ring to which the vertical chains are attached at their lower end forming a small circle around the central pipe, which prevents the chains from flying out of control when struck by a disc. The ring served the purpose well and has been the source of significant imitation. When a disc strikes the first chain of a series of hanging chains each tracing a parabolic curve from top to lower end, the weight of typically 18 links in each vertical chain is partially lifted, thereby absorbing the energy of the impacting disc. Added to this is the weight of the solid ring plus the weight of several links which are attached to the ring on either side of the impacted chain. Since there are several adjacent chains which are usually struck or partially lifted by the disc at the moment of impact, the amount of resistance to the disc increases exponentially. This cooperative functioning of the chains attached to a solid base ring is particularly useful and performs particularly well when the incoming disc is traveling at a high rate of speed and strikes the disc entrapment device right in the center of the chains. When this occurs, the disc is almost always caught because the forces on either side are symmetrical, and there is nothing that causes it to be deflected or mis-directed from its flight path.
Problems are encountered, however, when the impact of the disc is off-center; that is, when it impacts chains to the left or to the right of the center pole when viewed straight on. In this case, the forces that stop the disc when the disc impacts the center of the assembly now tend to push the disc away from the entrapment device with a force which increases as the spinning disc impacts first one and then another in a succession of chains as it spins on its escape path. The flight of the disc and its tendency to be either caught or spun away is further impacted by whether the disc has had a left-hand spin or a left-hand spin imparted to it. A left-hand spin will further add to the tendency to fly away when it strikes the chains on the right-hand side of center, and similarly, a right-hand spin will produce the same effect when the impact is to the left of center.
Further experimentation has led to the conclusion that the minimum amount of energy required to catch or stop a disc should be the maximum amount of force provided to stop the forward motion of the disc and allow gravity to pull the disc into the basket. In further analysis, it has been concluded that the use of a solid ring to secure the chains at the base of the parabola provides too much energy, and an alternative has been developed which is the subject of the present application.
The present invention provides a pole-mounted chain and basket assembly for catching and holding flying discs which comprise a vertically mounted elongated pole and a first support element extending radially outwardly a first distance from the pole adjacent the upper end of the pole. A first plurality of vertically oriented inner chains are provided, with the chains connected at spaced intervals at their upper ends to the first support, and at their lower ends are connected to a horizontal ring of links extending between each vertical chain and encircling the pole. A second support element also extends radially outwardly from the pole a second greater distance than the first distance. A second plurality of vertically oriented outer chains encircling the first plurality are provided, each of the second plurality of chains being attached at spaced intervals at their upper ends to the second support and to the horizontal ring of links at their lower ends. An upwardly-opening basket of predetermined size is attached to the pole below the lower ends of the two pluralities of chains and the horizontally ring. The plurality of chains are of a predetermined size, shape and weight, such that when the assembly is struck by a flying disc they act to capture the disc, absorbing disc kinetic energy and causing the flying disc to fall into the basket.
The present invention solves the problems presented by prior art disc entrapment device in several ways. By eliminating the solid ring and using two sets of chains (one inner set and one outer set) of a pre-determined size, shape and weight, it has been found that the cooperative action of the adjacent chains produces surprising and unexpected results in demonstrating an ability to absorb the energy of the incoming disc as it strikes the chains and be restrained from imparting a reaction or rebound effect, thereby enabling the kinetic energy of the disc to be absorbed and allow gravity to exert its force, causing the disc to fall into the basket below the chain assembly. This chain assembly, where all chains are comprised of chain links, can be referred to as xe2x80x9csoft chainsxe2x80x9d because of the absence of the solid ring.
A second valuable improvement is obtained by a preferred embodiment of the present invention by providing two sets of seven (7) chains located at spaced intervals around the disc pole hole in concentric fashion, each supported by a radially-extending support extending outwardly from the central pole. The chains are attached to the extremities of these supports and extend vertically downward in a parabolic curve to a series of horizontally oriented links which form a horizontal chain ring linking the inner set of chains to each other, linking the outer set of chains to each other, and the two sets of inner and outer chains to each other.
The performance of the disc pole hole with this configuration is improved in a number of respects. The distance from the chains to the inner pole is maintained greater than the diameter of the discs. Incoming discs, in some cases, pass between the chains and strike the pole. This plus the relative spacing of adjacent chains allows the chains to close behind the disc after it passes through the chains, and in effect provides a curtain to block the disc and its tendency to rebound, thus enabling the chains to grip and hold the disc. Because the links of each chain are of a pre-determined size shape and weight, each of the plurality of chains have greater flexibility and provide a greater capability in capturing discs, either light or heavy discs, even discs moving at high velocity. The spacing of the chains relative to each other provides a substantially enhanced stopping force. The horizontal ring of links joining the inner and other vertical chains moderates the movement of the impacted chains enhancing the disc catching capability of the assembly.